12 November 1990 The New York Times Magazine 229 West 43rd street New York, NY 10036 To the Editor: Hedrick Smith's October 28th article "The Russian Character" makes much of the contrast between Americans and Russians. The two groups, for example, respond differently to someone else's shiny new car. The Americans are proudly acquisitive while the Russians enviously hateful. Are these responses really so different? Dante would describe them as manifestations of the same emotion: There is the man who sees his own success connected to his neighbor's downfall; thus he longs to see him fall from eminence. Next, he who fears to lose honor and fame, power and favor, if his neighbor rise; vexed by this good, he wishes for the worst. Purgatory, Canto XVII Choose for yourself which tercet is pride and which is envy. Even the gifted Dante through Vergil's eloquent voice faltered in defining the distinction although I would venture to say that this is a carefully crafted ambiguity. So there really is no difference. The problem is -- whether we are communist or capitalist, Russian or American -- that we still value materialistic things we cannot share. © human race, why do you place your hopes where partnership must always be denied? Purgatory, Canto XIV Yours sincerely, Born evel Ogan Gurel 50 Haven Avenue #210 New York, NY 10032